The Blog of Champions: Part II
Family Reunion
Text by Ross Champion
Photos courtesy Ross Champion and Ludo Mouveau (fullgaz.com)

I would like to dedicate my win at the first stop of the 2009 IFWA World Tour in France to my Dad. He was my best friend and biggest supporter for most of my life. It is strange not to be able to call him after an event is over, but I am very fortunate to have a great network of extended IFWA family and I would like to introduce to some of them now.

The run up to the start of the IFWA World Tour this year was just insane: Lots of preparation, stress, problems with skis not arriving in time...you name it. It took a few years off of me for sure. But once you arrive at the event, all the stress and problems fade away. The guys that travel and are part of the tour are a really special group of people. We are all part of a family and that is the reason the tour is so good and why the IFWA is so important to me. So I think it would be cool to introduce you all to some of my extended family. This is by no means a complete list of the people I look forward to seeing at the events; these are just the names you are most likely to be familiar with.

In no particular order:

Arkadius "Arek" Schramek - Germany
Arek has more stoke and love for the sport than any sane person should. German by birth, he now lives in Spain so he can ride in the surf full-time. Completely out of his mind nuts, but at the same time one of the smartest guys I know. Will probably wind up a billionaire one day but it will most likely be because he will meet and marry Paris Hilton. Arek is by far the most improved rider this year, I would not be surprised if he is the guy to beat in the next year or so. www.jet-piraten.de

Pierre Maixent - France
The very best freerider on the planet and also a very good friend. I can't think of another sport where the two biggest "rivals" travel together while on tour. But that is what Pierre and I did last year. He is a super talented rider and great person in general. Pierre is as good as he is because he works at it and is ultra competitive - by far my favorite rider to compete head to head against. Pierre just had surgery on a badly broken foot this past Thursday, but he will be back very soon. www.mx100factory.com

Jerry Jones - USA
One of my very best friends in the world. We ride together in Oceanside, CA, and Jerry is literally one of the best freeriders riders in the world, but no one has ever seen him ride. I love riding with Jerry because he is just fearless. If you tell him to do something he just plain does it. But that fearlessness has not really helped him in contests. I'm not sure if he has ever ridden in from a heat under his own power! www.jetskier79.com

Marc "the Shark" Sickerling - Germany
Every year Marc is one of the guys I look forward to seeing the most. Probably the nicest guy in the pits. Also one of the most accomplished, with six world freestyle titles to his credit (3IJSBA, 3UIM) and one of the first guys to do a flat-water backflip. In the surf he is ultra smooth and in control. Always a threat to win. www.marcsickerling.com

Jimmy Visser - South Africa
Jimmy is more or less retired these days and spends most of his free time in Bali, riding perfect waves from his boat. There is no one else in the world who can ride a blaster like Jimmy, and his skill came from his dedication. I don't think anyone else in our sport trains as hard as Jimmy did. He is really missed on tour these days. But I'm holding out hope we have not seen the last of him.

Federico Bufacchi - Italy
"Robo Cop," aka Federico "Dolce and Gabbana" Bufacchi as the announcers call him, is a great personality to have in our sport and is just flat-out an amazing rider. There is no one else who can do perfect double barrel rolls like Federico. I push harder riding against Federico than I do anyone else in the world.

Ludovic Mouveau - France
"Ludo" aka "Mouvax" aka "Fullgaz" is the reason our sport looks as great as it does, he is the guy behind most of the freeride coverage seen in magazines around the world (including Personal Watercraft Illustrated). A very close personal friend of mine, partly because we have been all around the world together for the past several years, but mostly because the guy would give you the last shirt off his back if you needed it. He and his partner are about to take over the world with Fullgaz, and I am very proud to be a Fullgaz rider! www.Fullgaz.com

Julien - France
Julien "Fly" is Ludo's partner in Fullgaz and he is the video half of the company. Fly drove 16 hours nonstop to Paris and back to pick up my ski so I would have it in time for the contest. He is a super nice guy and a very good freerider himself. Fly's videos are an inspiration to not only me and the rest of the freeriders around the world, but to the video makers as well. Check out his videos on www.Fullgaz.com

Marcelo Brandão - Brazil
"Tchello" is the president of the IFWA and is kind of like our cool uncle who is supposed to be watching us while our parents are away. But in all reality, as long as we show up in time for the riders meeting and our heat, all is good. Tchello does work very hard to promote competitive freeride on a worldwide scale. and we are very fortunate to have him and the rest of the IFWA behind us. ww.ifwa.com.br

Gil Beurnier - France
A pioneer of Freeride and still one of the best and most innovative riders in the world, Gil is also a great friend. He did not compete in France this year, but I hope he will be back for Brazil. He is an amazing surfer and motorcycle rider who spends lots of time in Bali and at his house in Madagascar. I'm looking forward to seeing Gil again at his event The Hossegor Air Festival. More on Gil here.

Aurelian Mejan - France
Aurel is huge, quiet, very humble, and one of the best riders in the world. Aurel is part of the "Eagles Team" that comes from the east coast of France. He is another one of the reasons the French freeride scene is as innovative as it is, and, one of the primary reasons the French National Freeride tour is the best National Tour on the planet. Wherever we are in the world, you can't miss Aurel in the chrome dome with the devil horns on top. www.EastCoastFreeriders.net

Maxime Barrero - France
2008 French National Freeride Champion. Max was one of the first guys I became good friends with on the IFWA Tour in 2007. He is an amazing rider and a guy that I have a lot of respect for. Max is a watercraft test rider, and has performed in shows all over Asia. I think Max and Marc Sickerling might be tied for most stylish in the pits. Max is also a member of the "Eagles Team." www.EastCoastFreeriders.net

Alexander Sampaio - Brazil

"Xan" is one of my favorite people in the world. He was the first guy I ever saw do a double barrel roll in person (that was in 2005 at the IFWA contest in Oceanside, CA). Xan is one of the few guys I know who makes his living jumping cars, motorcycles, and jet skis. This year he is in China performing watercraft stunt shows. www.xan.com.br

Alex Federmeyer - Luxembourg
Though not officially a German - since he does not technically live in Germany - he is by default part of the crazy German clan. Alex is a great surf rider even though he only gets to the ocean a few times a year. We missed Alex in France this year because he is awaiting the arrival of his first child! Congrats Alex, you will make a great father! www.madlex.lu

Eddie Bettencourt - USA
Another one of the Oceanside locals. Eddie was the very first guy I met to ride with when I moved to California in 2005, and I was pretty intimidated during that first ride. I think Eddie probably has more talent than almost anyone else in the freeride scene, and it is pretty obvious when you see him transition seamlessly from a SuperJet to a Blaster in competition. The official tow boat of the O-Side Crew, Eddie's Blaster has never been towed in.

Graham Reid - UK
There is not really much that I can say about Graham Reid that would be suitable for a public forum. Suffice to say he rides a pink and yellow ski he has named "Mr. Blobby," but it's not his fault...he's British. In all reality, Graham and his wife Pippa do more to promote the freestyle/freeride scene in the UK than anyone else I know. They also run and promote the FNT (Freestyle National Tour) in the UK. If Graham can ever figure out how to make his Total Loss work in the Ocean, I'm pretty sure he will be the next guy to do a double back flip. www.FreestyleNationalTour.co.uk

Eric Forney - France
Eric is the guy that deserves the credit for most of the aerial flip variations that you see guys pulling off today. He is the one that first did the no-handed flip and can-can flip. Eric speaks about as much English as I do French, so invariably our chats never last that long. But he and his wife, Virginey Chalet (sister of famous French freerider Henery Chalet), are a fixture of the IFWA community along with their kids and German Shepherd, Unil.

Mike Serlin - USA
Mike is the third IFWA regular that is also one of my best friends and riding buddies at home. He is still recovering from a very badly broken leg that he suffered at the end of the tour in 2007. But his riding is back to 100% and as stylish as ever. I'm really looking forward to having him back traveling with us soon.

Roman Stampers - France
Probably the most technical freerider out there. Everything Roman does is super precise and very technical. I've ridden with Roman on three continents, and he is a guy that I have a ton of respect for. Roman is also at home this year with a new baby. Roman will make an awesome father!

Every year we have some new faces and we lose a few of the old ones. But the feeling and spirit stays. I love this sport and I love competing. But the reason I love to do the tour is to see all my extended family. This really is a very special group of people, and I really hope that we will see more new faces in the months and years to come. Be sure to check www.IFWA.com.br for a schedule of events - we would all love to see some new faces at the next stop!

-Ross